Iran marks National Army Day with military parade

Iran commemorates National Army Day with a large-scale military parade, showcasing the country’s defense preparedness and latest achievements in this sector.

Forces with various divisions of Iran’s Army attended the parade, which began on Wednesday morning near the mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, in southern Tehran.

During the parade, Iranian Armed Forces displayed their new defense achievements, advanced military equipment and hardware. Similar celebrations were also held in other cities across the country.

Iranian forces march during a parade marking National Army Day, southern Tehran, April 18, 2018.

Another such parade was also held by Iran’s Navy forces in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, with the country’s warships and destroyers sailing in the strategic waters in a show of power.

In Tehran, Iran’s latest domestically manufactured missile system called Kamin-2 was unveiled. It is a portable device designed to target enemy drones flying in low altitude.

Among other defense hardware put on display were the country’s other missile systems, including S-300, S-200, Tabas and Sayyad, as well as radar systems, tanks, armored vehicles and sniper rifles.

President Hassan Rouhani addressed the Tehran event, which was also attended by the chiefs of the Iranian Army, Air Force, and Navy, as well as senior commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

Rouhani highlighted the peaceful nature of the country’s defense program, saying Iran has no intention to invade other countries or harm their interests.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and top military brass attend National Army Day ceremonies, southern Tehran, April 18, 2018.

The president assured regional states that Iran’s policy towards them is based on “good neighborliness,” adding that history shows Iran has never invaded but rather helped nations and governments grow over the past centuries.

He emphasized Iran’s right to develop its national deterrence power, stressing that the country will not wait for any permission to produce the defensive weapons it needs.

“In such a region where big powers have used terrorist groups as tools to promote insecurity, our country needs a strong deterrent armed force that stands against the major powers’ conspiracies and prevents terrorists from setting sight on the territory with greed,” he added.

The Iranian chief executive also warned the Western States against flooding the region with their weapons while plundering the resources of its nations.

“Your weapons could neither bring independence for regional countries nor frighten great nations like Iran,” Rouhani said, describing political dialog and peaceful approaches as the only solution to regional and global problems.